As image recording methods for forming an image on a recording medium such as paper based on an image data signal, there are an electrophotographic system, sublimation type and melt type thermal transfer systems, an inkjet system, etc. For example, with regard to the inkjet system, since it can be carried out using inexpensive equipment and an image is formed directly on a recording medium by discharging an ink composition only on a required image area, the ink composition can be used efficiently and the running cost is low. Furthermore, there is little noise and it is excellent as an image recording device.
In accordance with the inkjet method, printing is possible not only on plain paper but also a non-water-absorbing recording medium such as a plastic sheet or a metal plate, but achieving high speed when printing and achieving high image quality are important issues, and the inkjet method has the property that the time taken for drying and curing a droplet after printing greatly influences the productivity of a printed material and the sharpness of an image obtained by printing.
As one inkjet method, there is a recording method using an ink for inkjet recording that can be cured by irradiation with actinic energy ray. In accordance with this method, the productivity of printed images is improved and a sharp image can be formed by curing an ink droplet by applying actinic energy ray immediately after ink discharge or after a predetermined time has elapsed.
As conventional ink compositions, ink compositions described in JP-A-2010-521330 (JP-A denotes a Japanese unexamined patent application publication) and JP-A-2010-514862 are known.